This Austin Chef Honors Her Heritage With 100% Mexican Wine And Spirits Program

For the last 12 years Marisela Godinez, chef owner of El Mesón Tequileria in South Austin, Texas, has actually seen lots of Mexican dining establishment reoccured. She views as brand-new, fashionable areas gather limelights and awards after simply a number of years in the market, while her family-owned area hangs on regardless of the misfortunes of current years.

Godinez, a Mexico City native, has actually constantly focused her menu on conventional local house cooking and street foods, including her own innovative touches. Many of her dishes originate from her mom’s collection, including her from-scratch mole. Alongside her spouse Yves, a Monterrey native, she takes a trip to Mexico typically to review and find brand-new patterns and meals. Her amazing Sunday breakfast buffet offers her the chance to attempt various things on a weekly basis.

In addition to running the kitchen area and monitoring the all-female personnel, she is accountable for all white wine and bar programs, and is the innovative force behind every mixed drink. Now, she is innovating her drink program present a 100% Mexican white wine list and little production, Mexican owned spirits, consisting of numerous women-owned and woman-made brand names. As such, she is the only dining establishment in Austin – possibly the state – with such a bar program.

“We began as a household organization 12 years back,” she states. “That Austin was totally various to what it is now. Now, the more youthful crowd is going anywhere the cool beverages are, so we have actually been pressed to ending up being business we are now. That’s why we needed to develop all these brand-new beverages.”

But it’s not everything about following a pattern. She is likewise an intense fan of small companies and anything that advises her of her house nation. Last year, she painted the dining establishment’s exterior to look like the well-known Casa Azul, Frida Kahlo’s house inMexico City

“After the pandemic, consumers were a lot more mindful about supporting little, in your area owned companies,” she states. “So I wished to move my drink program to concentrate on supporting that, the method individuals have actually supported me.”

Whenever she can’t discover Mexican owned spirits, Godinez relies on in your area sourced, Texas- based brand names to match her bar.

As a reflection of her viewpoint, the brand-new mixed drink menu at El Mes ón is motivated by female empowerment – every beverage is called with the female recognizing pronoun. La Mexico-Americana, made with Rio Grande orange liqueur from Marfa Spirit Company and Chihuahuan Sotol (” they’re throughout the border from each other,” states Godinez, thus the name) paired with agave syrup, fresh lime juice, and house-made tamarind pulp, is a popular option.

La Gritona is made with the homonimous tequila reposado, distilled by Melly Barajas and her personnel of females at her little distillery in Valle De Guadalupe, Jalisco, while La Mexicana blends Creador mezcal espadin (an Austin- owned brand name) with an habanero instilled hibiscus syrup, served in a grasshopper-salted glass. Godinez developed this beverage after a journey toMexico City

“The spirits coming out of Mexico City are extremely intriguing,” she states.” The city is a lot more cosmopolitan than it utilized to be. Whenever I go, I bring bank motivation.”

She has actually just recently stumbled upon Condesa gin, a micro-batch gin made in Mexico City with endemic botanicals and distilled by a maestra destiladora. “When I inform my consumers ‘this is a woman-owned spirit, or this is a really little production choice,’ they wish to attempt it,” she specifies.

Change the white wine list to all Mexican white wines was harder. “There has actually never ever sufficed representation of Mexican white wine in Austin,” statesGodinez “It took me 2 years to construct this white wine list since no one offers Mexican white wines. We lastly have enough at an excellent cost that we can use on our menu. They’re in fact more pricey than Chilean, Argentina, American, or Spanish white wines since production is smaller sized. But the quality exists! Some have actually won awards, taking on French white wines and winning.”

These white wines set effectively with Mexican food. “The Italians make white wine to be coupled with Italian food,” statesGodinez “Same thing with Mexican white wines. They are made to be coupled with the tastes of our food.”

Godinez states that an unforeseen yet preferred pairing is Queretaro’s Terra Mädi Malbec Rosé with tortilla chips and salsa. “If you consume the rosé, then consume the chips, it absolutely alters the tastes of the rosé. It’s an enjoyable pairing, ideal for the outdoor patio,” she states. “But when you’re eating with numerous intricate tastes, your white wine is taking on them. You require a more intricate white wine.”

For meals like her mole she advises theTorre de Tierra Tinto Also from Queretaro, this mix of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon is perfect. “Its even much better the next day, after you let it breathe.”

Godinez states that consumers are reacting favorably to the brand-new bar program, which they are more available to attempting these brand-new white wines and spirits.

” I motivate consumers to taste any of the white wines we offer by the glass,” she states, “and the majority of the time they are happily stunned and wind up buying a bottle. It’s a matter of education – as a chef, producing the mixed drinks is a great deal of enjoyable, and mentor individuals about Mexican white wine is a satisfaction and an honor for me.”